Intelligent Information Management

Steffen Schaar: The "EIM Compass" section has been an integral part of this magazine since the very first issue. Compass stands for orientation, guide, assistance. Be our "compass" today - give us an insight into your motivation for helping to shape the digitalization era over the years and hopefully continue to do so. You have been an expert, advisor, opinion leader and trendsetter for more than a quarter of a century now. May we get to know you better by asking you to explain the following sentence, which has nothing to do with IT: "The ceramics of the Hürde1 housing estate at Dümmer....?"

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: (laughs) Yes, this is the title of my dissertation in the field of prehistory and early history from the 1980s. This work was also a step for me on the way to information management, as I had already learned to use and appreciate the IT for archaeology at the end of the 1970s. In the 1980s, however, my path also led me away from prehistory and into information science. From positions at the Fraunhofer Institute IIT, through various providers of document management solutions, to the founding of my own consulting company, the last 35 years have been dominated by information management and digital transformation.

Steffen Schaar: Back then, you virtually established "image processing" in archaeology, supported archaeologists with a database system as early as 1985, co-founded the VOI - Association for Organization and Information Systems, organize congresses, are a moderator, seminar leader and recently celebrated your 25th company anniversary. Congratulations from us too. Are 25 years of passion for and with IT also 25 years of transformation in your life?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: My original wish was to become an archaeologist. I was given a book about Heinrich Schiemann as a birthday present when I was seven years old...a classic start. Among other things, I studied archaeology and also carried out numerous excavations. I combined this passion with scientific methods and electronic data processing very early on in the 70s. Even though I later moved completely into information technology, I completed and published all my archaeological work beforehand. It was a relatively easy decision to switch from archaeology to the Fraunhofer Society for Information and Data Processing. After that, I was responsible for the first document management projects at various companies such as Nixdorf, learned a bit about the tools of the trade at American consulting firms and then created the "Hyparchiv" product at ACS, which is still on the market today. You mentioned the VOI: at the end of the 1980s, we realized that we had to get involved in order to create visibility for a topic that would ultimately benefit all market participants and users. That was one of the reasons why I founded the VOI Optical Information Systems Association with like-minded people in 1991. At the time, it was important to me to successfully launch initiatives such as the legal recognition of electronic archiving, which then gave rise to standards such as the GoBS, GDPdU and today's GoBD. After seven years, however, I left the association for various reasons. As managing chairman of the board, I had a lot of responsibility and with 150 member companies, too much time, which I needed for my company, simply flowed into the association. PROJECT CONSULT has played its part in developing the topic in Germany. Others can now do the same. Regarding the last part of your question and the reason for the interview - I personally have undergone a transformation in these years, from a scientifically oriented archaeologist to information science, from research to software development and from there to product-independent management consultancy. We help end users to cope with the digital transformation.

Steffen Schaar: ...a wonderful bridge to the questions from "today", because as the saying goes " ... to shape the future, you should know the past and accept the present". Would you have thought you would grow old as a digital immigrant and help shape digitalization?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Yes, even as an RDI - Retarded Digital Immigrant.

Steffen Schaar: Okay - clear answer! (smiles)

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: You threw the term digitalization into the ring. We've been doing digitalization since the beginning of IT, haven't we? What has changed is that we now have an unprecedented acceleration in development. The term digitalization has literally seeped into our everyday lives. Originally reserved for research or modern commercial enterprises, it is now a topic that affects everyone. But what does digitalization originally mean? The dictionary says "the transformation of analog information into digital information" - in short, for the document management industry - scanning. What we mean by digitization today is the conversion of communication, working methods, the entire support environment of people through digital media, digital processes, digital tools, robotics and the like. People have been using tools - the hand axe, the steam engine, the assembly line - for as long as they have existed. People only become people through their tools. However, supporting tools are now beginning to develop a life of their own: Robots, artificial intelligence, semantic search and even cyborgs. We have to accept that the software we work with in the office or factory is actually a colleague. This will be reinforced by the integration of electronic components into people, as cyborgs. Calves are given two chips in their ears at birth - no confusion! We as humans do not yet. But more and more "intelligent" components are being used in replacement part surgery. This merging, permeating everything, self-learning action - that is actually the new quality of digitalization.

Steffen Schaar: It's actually about using the technology of the present so that we can discover the possibilities in society and everything that accompanies people, which are ultimately already instilled in people's spirit of research and thirst for knowledge. My symbol for this is the "pencil": writing a novel, painting a great picture, rhyming a poem. Creating value, taking responsibility, thinking about things. All human characteristics of facing the present. Pencil, DMS, ECM, Industry 4.0 and what comes next?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: A pen used to be used to record something creatively. Technology today does the same thing, same same but different. Today, technology turns your pen into a magic pen. Not only does it do almost unimaginable things for you, it also leaves a barely visible trace. The data traces of today lead to the keyword "transparent person", which dominated the discussion a few years ago. The traces we leave behind can no longer be erased. This is the dark side of digitalization. The focus is on economic and political interests, not on people. I found Shoshana Zuboff's statements in the early 1980s with their three laws interesting: everything that can be converted into electronic information will be converted into electronic information; everything that can be automated will be automated; and thirdly, all applications that can be used for monitoring and influencing or controlling will be used for influencing and controlling. The present confirms all three theses. The train that we set in motion back then has been unstoppable since the 1990s. And when it comes to our topic, information management in companies, it is grossly underestimated that we are already 100% dependent on the accuracy and availability of electronic information.

Steffen Schaar: Absolutely. But there are still people in between.

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: To some extent, people are already on the outside. If you think about new fintech concepts, with virtual banks and blockchain, there are no more people in the work processes.

Steffen Schaar: Bitcoin, blockchain, artificial intelligence. Not quite 30 years ago, none other than Bill Gates said that the time will come when mankind will only have one computer....

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Douglas Adams wrote in a very visionary way in his book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" that the whole Earth will be a single computer. Bill Gates was not entirely wrong when we think about networking, IoT, interconnected cloud, mobile and the like. Humans have entered into a symbiosis with software. Our self-image, our lives and our work have changed as a result. Questions such as "What will work even be in the future?" are becoming important. What role will human labor still play? What to do with all the people without work? There are social issues involved, such as the unconditional basic income. Today we are talking about the progress of the digital transformation. We should actually start thinking about what we will do when everything is digitalized.

Steffen Schaar: What role has the document provider sector played in this development?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Document management as a discipline emerged in the 70s and 80s, when host systems at the time were not able to process unstructured information such as documents. ECM Enterprise Content Management followed at the end of the 90s and was an attempt to capture the developments of the internet, the web. Today, in 2018, this industry has done itself in.

Steffen Schaar: What went so wrong with ECM - Enterprise Content Management? Has the industry, the target group been lost sight of or has it simply been overtaken by time?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: On the one hand, the ECM system providers never really understood the vision and purpose of Enterprise Content Management, but only focused on their product. If you look back to the beginnings of ECM, around the year 2000, the claim was much broader. It was about strategies and methods of information management. At that time, I was one of the directors of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) and part of the working group that launched the vision of ECM. At that time, we tried to position our topic with the same importance as ERP, PLM, HR, CRM, CMS, etc. by using an acronym. The trends in IT were defined by such acronyms and this is where our topic should be reflected. Unfortunately, this did not work out properly, each provider marched in its own direction and the so-called ECM industry is disintegrating. A large common umbrella under which the providers can be found and which allows users to identify and compare solutions is missing today. Incidentally, in terms of technologies and functionality, ECM has always been middleware in its approach, it has always been infrastructure, services in the subsurface of the systems, actually hardly visible to the user at the workplace. This approach would still be valid today, but the former ECM providers believe they have to position themselves differently in the digital transformation.

Steffen Schaar: Was this development a necessary evil or could it perhaps have been changed? So we don't have to say "ashes on our heads"? That would make us all more likeable, for everyone around us. Isn't it time to turn away from it for good?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: You know, the train has left the station. But some topics will remain important, even if we no longer talk about ECM. There is, for example, the control of information, information governance, which is becoming increasingly important in view of the flood of information and legal requirements. In recent years, this aspect of ECM Enterprise Content Management has not been sufficiently emphasized. The fact that ECM has only focused on unstructured content for many providers, namely traditional documents, scans, PDFs, Word files, images, etc., has also played a role. What your company, Mr Schaar, and the VOI have also sensibly recognized is that it is about the indexing and management of all information, regardless of the technical format. It is about the value of the information, which is independent of the format. What we lack here today and where we also have no standards is to define and recognize this value of information. With regard to the overly narrow definition of ECM, ignoring data and documents as a component of higher-level information management, I am downright angry with the industry...

Steffen Schaar: I wanted to hear that now, Mr. Kampffmeyer, because ...?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Yes, I'm really angry because the providers have really flubbed the issue. It is no longer anywhere on the list of priorities for decision-makers. They talk about sub-areas such as archiving - unimportant from a decision-maker's point of view, belongs in the basement -, content management - the service provider does it -, collaboration - that's what Share Point is for -, processes - run in the specialist application or in the ERP -, electronic invoices - are standard and also secondary, IT should take care of it for a moment -, and, and, and. We have only focused the importance of information on the medium, on the administration, but not on the value and benefits.

Steffen Schaar: You've just mentioned the digital keyword. In this form of all the acronyms, system solutions called CRM, ERP, MRS, MES and so on. Users don't want that, they want to benefit from it. Simpler, more interesting, more efficient, faster, more agile. Knowledge is the magic word. Knowledge is data provided in the context of action. And you can derive good decisions from knowledge, but only from knowledge, not by saying that data is the gold of the 21st century. Data is garbage, data is sand. Knowledge is gold, namely in the context of the actions of societies, companies, organizations, people who work and live together. Doesn't it hurt your consultant soul when I simply ask you, you've been pouring water on the mills for 20 years, how much strength do you have left?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Counter question - did you know that 75% of all electronic information in companies is RED? Redundant, Outdated, Trivial! The crucial issue is information access and information utilization. The key is not the technical solution, but the conscious handling of information in the company. How important is information in commercial applications, for example? Whether an archive, SharePoint or cloud is the technical solution is unimportant. How do I deal with information, how do I protect it, how do I maintain its quality and usability? The providers and their associations, such as BITKOM, VOI & Co., driven by the manufacturers, continue to focus on technology, functionality and systems instead - leaving the really important issues by the wayside. We have left the users alone and lost them along the way. In some cases, we are leaving it to charlatans, who appear as saviours with promises of technology where organizational solutions are required. This also applies to innovation in the handling of information. Innovations come from outside the traditional sector. The industry takes innovations from next door here and there and incorporates them into its own systems, but there have been no independent innovations for some years now. This also has a positive aspect that should not be concealed - the solutions are mature, stable and do what they are supposed to do. However, whether the latter is still sufficient in the digital transformation is more than questionable. The crisis in the industry is also due to the fact that it has been overtaken by new topics on the left and right.

Steffen Schaar: You are clearly focusing on the benefits, and here we are kindred spirits again. That brings me to my next question: in 2014, you coined the phrase "The CIO is not the IT manager" for the first time at the DMS Expo in Stuttgart, which came as a surprise to many - not to me, by the way. Recently, ComputerWoche reported that the CIO had been abolished. And then the I was replaced by a D. And I would like to know your opinion on this. Is the Chief Information Officer the Information Officer and not the IT Manager? Do you still stand by this today or what do you say to the letter D in between?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Mr. Schaar, it's the other way around - unfortunately, many so-called CIOs in Germany are just IT managers who look after IT and not information management. For five years now, I have been involved in organizing the IT & Information Management Strategy Summit, which specifically addresses Chief Information Officers. We confronted the participants with this question right from the start, as many of them come from a technical background and have now been given a "C" title simply because it is modern. In terms of their working environment, they are IT specialists, but not so much architects, strategists or visionaries. When they hear the term architecture, these managers tend to think of a system architecture rather than an information architecture...

Steffen Schaar: ...not organizational architecture, not enterprise architecture...

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: ...from a business or strategic point of view, but they are actually concerned with keeping the existing IT running. This also applies to the relationship with the so-called "business" - IT as a service provider or IT as a strategic partner of the business. The gap between business departments and IT is still there. The so-called Chief Information Officers have not succeeded in moving out of the IT corner and into the information corner. That's why the new role of Chief Digital Officer had to be invented, right? The Chief Digital Officer has the task of driving the digitization process forward from a technical perspective. But there's a problem there too. Firstly, you can't simply replace the I with a D or split the I into technology and digitalization. As a consultant, and the CIO or CDO should see themselves as such, they must always be a few steps ahead of their customers, the business. Nevertheless, they must not lose their grip on the ground. New terms and trends are constantly driving companies forward - but also into madness. Take the German term Industrie 4.0, a hype topic where people have tried to transfer the marketing success of 2.0 to Industrie 4.0. Empty in terms of content. Elsewhere, this is referred to with the Anglicism Smart Industry. This empty conceptual shell is filled with new content every year. In corporate reality, however, it must be implemented in concrete terms. For example, the CDO is expected to introduce Workplace 4.0, the workplace of the future, implement Industry 4.0 in the company and in new products and services of the company, and initiate the digital transformation of the company. Traditional organizations are overwhelmed. Hierarchical structures and decisions stand in the way of the necessary overarching processes and comprehensive information. The hope is that all information will be automatically made accessible as company knowledge. Everything should be available, but confidentiality and data protection should be maintained. This will not work overnight! Digitalization is primarily about organization, processes and people and not about the arbitrary use of supposedly modern technologies.

Steffen Schaar: Are we speaking too much technical jargon? Ask someone what Industry 4.0 means - 60% don't know. Do we need to rethink, more digital strategy instead of digital patchwork?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Strategy is a necessity right at the beginning. This must be communicated to the users, without acronymology. At PROJECT CONSULT, we have been talking about information management as an umbrella term since 1997, because information management includes communication such as the exchange, use and development of information. Information management is characterized by human interaction and culture. The human being is the benchmark here and human behavior determines the solution approaches. The sender-receiver problem is a well-known example. I try to convey something with words and the underlying terms and concepts. The receiver, the listener, only understands part of it - or nothing at all - if he does not know the terms and concepts. Silent mail and a lack of understanding are the consequences. In this sense, communication and information management are also questions of understanding and culture. Incidentally, this is also an inherent problem of our acronyms and technical terms, but generally applies within every organization and human interaction. Corporate culture is often underestimated or not considered at all in the digital transformation. There is still no digital culture in companies because the digital world has not really arrived yet. We have already touched on this in relation to the value of information - what significance does information have in the company, what does the company do with information, what is the value of information in relation to the company's values? Banal things like "How should employees handle information sensibly?" There is no awareness of the fundamental problems here, it's even getting worse...

Steffen Schaar: ... because companies and their value creation have also changed rapidly. Industries are disappearing, technology change and agility are "high performers" and globalization is crying out for digitalization, isn't it?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: A few more key words. The changes are the result of certain social conditions and economic models. Both society and the economy are changing rapidly. The social consensus is threatened by globalization, by consumers who don't reflect, by a pure take-it-or-leave-it mentality. This is particularly evident when it comes to the Internet. The Internet is a basic need like electricity from the socket, it must be accessible anytime and anywhere, and everything on the Internet must be free. Our social system currently lacks the standards to deal with globalization and the unlimited availability of information. In addition, there are justified and unjustified fears. In view of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, the fear of losing one's job, paid work and livelihood is very real. In addition, the limits to growth and the differences between the super-rich and the poor are becoming visible. Digitalization plays a special role here, as on the one hand it is a promise for the better, but on the other hand it drives intransparency, manipulation and dependency. Digitalization and information are the decisive competitive factor for companies in the future. Many believe that people must be subordinate to this. Twenty years ago, you had to argue with company managers that information is the fifth pillar of the company. Today, this is taken for granted and information is becoming more important for companies than the traditional product. But the role of employees and consumers is increasingly being overlooked.

Steffen Schaar: One of your last presentations was entitled "ECM what comes next...". Why don't you turn it around, take your concentrated experience, add your emotions and passion and speak freely from the heart without courting the DMS or ECM industry?

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer (laughs): Wow - courting the ECM industry. Incidentally, we already established earlier that the DMS/ECM industry per se no longer exists. I think that when I listen to the providers, I am the one who always acts as a pessimistic admonisher, always poking at the wounds. Lobbying for the suppliers, manufacturers and associations of this - no longer existing? - Industry, no, that's not my topic. However, I am part of this industry, or let's say scene today, and when the industry is doing well, there are many projects and a lot of need for advice. The aim is to jointly explain the importance of the topic to decision-makers and future users. In everyone's interest. I'm happy to share my experience, if you like, even passionately and emotionally.

Steffen Schaar: Respect for sticking with it.

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: There are providers who support this commitment, who also pay for me to give talks, moderate discussion panels or write white papers for them. Ultimately, events - such as this interview - offer me a platform to share my ideas and assessments of future developments through presentations. This benefits both users and providers. And ultimately also my company as a service provider for users.

Steffen Schaar: ... and of course it is also a personal recognition.

Dr. Ulrich Kampffmeyer: Yes, it also reflects a certain recognition of my role. Even if you can't always take on this role yourself to the extent that you would like, e.g. a directorship at an international umbrella organization, managing a European association or an associate professorship. Here, the economic capacity and relevance of a very small management consultancy is very limited.